Self-erecting display box

ABSTRACT

A self-erecting shadow box made of paperboard or the like, for example for use as a display means or a greeting card, includes an open front frame behind which is placed a foldable rigid sheet. An elastic member is used to urge toward each other like portions of side panels of the sheet which are adjacent the central portion of the sheet so that the central portion is moved rearwardly, thus creating a rearwardly extending box. When viewed from the front, the central portion of the sheet is rearward of the open frame, the side panels of the sheet converge and the top and bottom panels of the sheet converge or extend horizontally rearwardly, thus creating an illusion of additional depth. The shadow box is initially contained within an envelope which holds it flat. When it is removed therefrom, the elastic member automatically opens the shadow box.

United States Patent 1191 Smith SELF-ERECTING DISPLAY BOX [76] Inventor:Irving Smith, c/o Arrow Art Finishers, 1201 Evergreen Ave., Flushing,N.Y.

[22] Filed: June 23, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 265,722

52 US. Cl. 40/124.1, 40/155 51 int. Cl. G091 1/00 [58] Field of Search40/152, 152.1, 154, 40/155, 124.1

[56] References Cited- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,731,748 1/1956 Polay40/155 5/1972 Smith 40/154 X [451 Dec. 4, 1973 5 7 ABSTRACT Aself-erecting shadow box made of paperboard or the like, for example foruse as a display means or a greeting card, includes an open front framebehind which is placed a foldable rigid sheet. An elastic member is usedto urge toward each other like portions of side panels of the sheetwhich are adjacent the central portion of the sheet so that the centralportion is moved rearwardly, thus creating a rearwardly extending box.When viewed from the front, the central portion of the sheet is rearwardof the open frame, the side panels of the sheet converge and the top andbottom panels of the sheet converge or extend horizontally rearwardly,thus creating an illusion of additional depth. The shadow box isinitially contained within an envelope which holds it flat. When it isremoved therefrom, the elastic member automatically opens the shadowbox.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures SELF-ERECTING DISPLAY BOX BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to displaymeans for greeting cards or the like and more particularly toself-erecting flat paperboard shadow boxes.

2. Description of the Prior Art In a shadow box such as described in myU.S. Pat. 1

No. 3,664,049 granted on May 23, 1972 elastic means locally applied tolower portions of the side panels forces the box to open threedimensionally. Over a period of time, the elastic means at leastpartially overcomes the rigidity of the side panels and flexes theirlower portions toward each other, bending them out of shape. This isunsightly. Moreover, since the bottom edges of the side panels supportthe box in an erect position and since the stability of the box is afunction of the spacing of these edges, the stability is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Purposes of the Invention It is therefore anobject of this invention to provide for an improved self-erecting shadowbox wherein the force created by the elastic means is more evenlydistributed so as to prevent the lower portions of the side panels frombecoming bent out of shape.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improvedself-erecting shadow box, wherein the floor and ceiling of the displayportion of the box are approxifnately perpendicular to the front panels.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide for animproved self-erecting shadow box having improved retention means forholding the box in its open position.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part bepointed out hereinafter.

Brief Description of the Invention According to a broad aspect of theinvention there is provided a self-erecting shadow box made ofpaperboard or the like, for example for use as a display means or agreeting card, which includes an open front frame behind which is placeda foldable rigid sheet. An elastic member is used to urge toward eachother those portions of the side panels of the sheet which are adjacentthe central portion of the sheet so that the central portion is movedrearwardly, thus creating a rearwardly extending box. When viewed fromthe front, the central portion of the sheet is rearward of the openframe, the side panels of the sheet converge and the top and bottompanels of the sheet converge or extend horizontally rearwardly, thuscreating an illusion of additional depth. The shadow box is initiallycontained within an envelope which holds it flat. When it is removedtherefrom, the elastic member automatically opens the shadow box.

In one embodiment of the invention the top and bottom panels aremechanically fixed to the rear of the front frame and locking means isprovided for holding the display box open. In another embodiment of theinvention the bottom panel is mechanically fixed to the rear of thefront frame while the top panel is not fixed to the rear of the frontframe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in whichare shown various possible embodiments of my invention:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a display box embodying theinvention as it appears when folded flat and partially disposed withinan envelope;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of an open displaybox constructed in accordance with the invention wherein the side panelsand top and bottom panels converge;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a second embodiment of a displaybox incorporating the invention wherein the top and bottom walls extendhorizontally rearwardly while the side panels converge;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the second embodiment when thedisplay box is collapsed;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the first embodiment when the displaybox is collapsed;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the second embodiment when thedisplay box is open;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment when thedisplay box is open;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism of the secondembodiment just before the box is fully opened;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism of the secondembodiment after the box is fully opened.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the second embodimentshowing side, top and bottom panels and the central portion after thebox is fully opened;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 of the first embodiment just beforethe box is fully opened; and

FIG. 12 is a further fragmentized view similar to FIG. 11 after the boxis fully opened.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The several embodiments of theinvention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

A shadow, i.e. display, box 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in a folded (closed)condition having all components thereof lying in one plane so that itmay fit within the interior 12 of an envelope 14 whereby it may bemailed to an individual.

A front perspective view of one embodiment is shown in FIG. 2. In thisembodiment the display box 10 is shown in an erect open position andincludes a selfform maintaining flat front frame paperboard member 16having top and bottom strips 18 and 20 respectively and side strips 22and 24 for defining a large central opening 26.

A backdrop generally designated by reference character 28, is comprisedof a single paperboard sheet having a central section 30. The paperboardbackdrop is made of a single sheet of self-form-maintaining material,although portions thereof are capable of relative movement about foldlines to be described. A pair of side walls 32 and 34 are hingedlysecured to central section along respective parallel fold lines 36 and38. A bottom wall 40 is hingedly secured to central section 30 along afold line 42 extending perpendicularly between fold lines 36 and 38. Atransverse flap 44 shown in FIG. 5 is hingedly secured to the bottomedge of bottom wall 40 along a fold line shown in FIG. 5, (parallel tofold line 42), and a top wall 52 is hingedly secured to central section30 along a fold line 54 (parallel to fold line 42) also shown in FIG. 5.The distal edges of the side walls and the top wall which are adjacentthe rear of frame 16 are free to slide along the rear surface of theframe as the display box moves from the folded (collapsed) positionshown in FIG. to the open position shown in FIG. 2. The front face oftransverse flat 44 is fixed to the rear of bottom section 20 of frame 16in any suitable fashion, such as by use of a suitable adhesive.

The backdrop also includes a pair of side panels 56 and 58 shown in FIG.5, in juxtaposition with and attached, as by adhesive, to the rearsurface of respective side walls 32 and 34 so as to be hingedly securedby the fold lines 36, 38 to the central section 30. Panels 56, 58overlie the side panel 56, 58 and extend beyond the upper and lower endsthereof. At the bottom ends of side panels 56 and 58 are respective feet64 and 66 which are inclined rearwardly and upwardly so that the openbox will lean backwardly at a slight angle when its feet rest on ahorizontal surface. As shown in FIG. 5 each of the outboard edges ofside panels 56 and 58 is provided with a pair of notches 68 and 70, and72 and 74, respectively, near the tops and bottoms of these panels inorder to accommodate an elastic member 76 which in this instance is anendless rubber band. The notches are respectively located above andbelow fold lines 54, 42.

It should be noted that transverse flap 44 is adhesively attached to therear surface of bottom section 20 of frame 16 in such a position thatthe bottom edge of flap 44 is in registry with the bottom edge of bottomstrip 20 of frame member 16. The top edges and bottom corners of sidepanels 60 and 62 are approximately in registry with the top edges andbottom comers of frame member 16 when the display box is held in folded(collapsed) position. When the display box is in the open position, thetop and bottom edges of the side panels are respectively below and abovethe top and bottom edges of frame member 16. The outboard edges 78 and80 of respective bottom and top walls 26 and 52 are inclined outwardlyas shown in FIG. 5. The top edge 82 and bottom edge 83 of side wall 34and the top edge 84 and bottom edge 85 of side wall 32 are also inclinedoutwardly. When the display box is in the collapsed position, edges 83and 78, edges 82 and 80, edges 80 and 84, and edges 85 and 78 form acuteangles therebetween and have a common junction at the corners of centralsection 30.

When a restraining force (hereinafter explained) that keeps the displaybox in the folded or collapsed position is removed, those portions ofelastic member 76 which extend between the notches at the tops of theside panels and between the bottoms of the side panels and whichportions are under tension cause the distal edges of the side panels toslide toward one another while maintaining contact with the rear surfaceof the central section 30. This in turn shifts central sectionrearwardly until the side panels reach and hold in the open positionshown in FIG. 7. Inward movement of the side panels, and rearwardmovement of the central section is halted by abutment of the front facesof the side panels against the end edges 78 of the bottom wall and theend edges 80 of the top wall 53. In addition, edges 80 abuts side edges82 of side walls 32, 34 to assist in fixing the final open position ofthe display box.

It will be appreciated that the use of two resilient members stretchedtransversely between the top and bottom notches 68, and anchored byenlarged ends on the rear faces of the side panels 56, 58 falls withinthe ambit of the invention.

The top edge of the central section is free, but tends to rest againstthe rear surface of the front frame because the central section isintegral with the side panels 56, 58 whose distal edges are biasedtoward the frame by the elastic member 76.

Another embodiment 87 of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 8, 9and 10. In this embodiment, top and bottom walls 86 and 88 of thebackdrop extend rearwardly in a horizontal direction when the displaybox is in the open position rather than in the rearwardly convergingdirection as was the case for top and bottom walls 52 and 26 in thefirst embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 7, 11 and 12. However, side walls90 and 92 (see FIG. 3) extend rearwardly in a converging direction whenthe display box is in the open position, in a manner identical to theside walls of the first embodiment. Top wall 86, which is hingedlysecured to a central section 94 in the same manner previously describedwith reference to the first embodiment, is also hingedly secured to atop transverse flap 96 along a horizontal fold line 98 shown in FIG. 4and 6. The front face of transverse flap 96 is adhesively attached tothe rear of the top section of the front panel. Bottom wall 88 is alsohingedly attached to a bottom transverse flap 100 along a horizontalfold line l0l,said bottom transverse flap being adhesively attached tothe rear of the bottom section of the front frame.

Due to this construction the outer edge of the top wall 18, which isadjacent fold line 98 and the rear of the front frame member, is unableto move away from the frame member regardless of whether the display boxis in the folded position or the open position.

In this second embodiment, as in the first, there is a pair of sidepanels 102 and 104 which are adhesively attached to the rear surfaces ofthe side walls 90 and 92 and thereby hingedly secured to the centralsection 94. The upper and lower ends of the side panels project beyondthe upper and lower edges of the side walls. Similarly, notches areformed in the' outboard edges of the side panels so as to receivesimilar resilient biasing means such as the rubber band 76.

In this second embodiment when the display box is in the collapsedposition, top wall 86 is folded over and onto the rear of flattransverse flap 96 so as to be in juxtaposition therewith. When therestraining force is removed from the display box, the adjacent surfacesof top panel 86 and transverse flap 96 begin to separate as theresilient biasing means causes the side panels to converge until thefront edges of the side walls abut the side edges of bottom wall 88 soas to establish the fixed open position of the display box and all ofits components.

In this second embodiment a locking means is provided which prevents thedisplay box from easily being moved toward the collapsed position onceit is in the open position until a sufficient force is applied to theside panels and central section in the direction of the frame to disablethe locking means. As the display box,- moving from the folded position,approaches open position, as shown in FIG. 8, side edges 106 of top wall86 (only one is shown in this figure) begin to ride progressively overtop edges 108 of side walls 92 until outer edges 106 of top walls 96snap over top edges 108 of side walls 92, as shown in FIG. 9 (an audiblesnapping sound is heard), whereupon edges 106 prevent the side panelsfrom being easily pushed towards the collapsed position until sufficientforce is applied thereto to force edges 108 over and past the abuttingedges 106 of top walls 86. Other aspects of the second embodiment aresimilar to the first embodiment and need not be explained any further.

In both embodiments of the invention the display box is collapsed bypushing the central section and side walls toward the rear of the frameand,in the process, increasing the tension on the elastic member 76, inparticular the transverse reaches thereof. To hold the display box incollapsed position a restraining force must be exerted to hold thecentral section against the front frame; this is most easily provided byslipping the collapsed box into an envelope as seen in FIG. 1 in whichit is snugly fitted and opening movement thereof inhibited.

It thus is seen that there are provided self-erecting shadow boxes whichachieve the several objects of the invention and are well adapted tomeet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having now described the invention, there is claimed and is desired tobe secured by Letters Patent:

1. A self-erecting display box comprising:

a frontally positioned open frame;

a backdrop including a central section, a pair of side walls hingedlysecured to said section along first and second top-to-bottom parallelfold lines;

means for hingedly securing said central section to the rear of saidframe; and

biasing means for urging at least portions of said side walls that areparallel to said first and second fold lines from first positions thatare substantially parallel and adjacent the plane of said centralsection to second positions such that said side walls extend rearwardlyat an angle to the plane of said central section and said first andsecond fold lines are spaced rearwardly of said frame,

the lower portions of said side walls extending below said parallel foldlines and below the lower edge of said frame, said lower portions ofsaid side walls including feet upon which the box rests when the same iserected,

said biasing means engaging said side walls at upper and lower segmentsthereof, the lower segment being above said feet whereby bowing of saidside walls and feet by said biasing means is minimized.

2. A display box according to claim 1, wherein said securing meansincludes a bottom wall hingedly secured to said central section along athird fold line and a first transverse flap hingedly secured to saidbottom wall along a fourth fold line at the rear of said frame and whichbox further includes a top wall hingedly secured to said central sectionalong a fifth fold line parallel to said third fold line and a secondtransverse flap hingedly secured to said top wall along a sixth foldline and to the rear of said frame.

3. A display box according to claim 2 wherein said side walls and panelsand said top and bottom walls extend rearwardly in a converging mannerwhen said display box is in the second position.

4.- A display box according to claim 2 wherein said side walls andpanels extend rearwardly in a converging manner, said top and bottomwalls extend horizontally rearwardly when said display box is in saidsecond position.

5. A display box according to claim 2 wherein said top wall issubstantially in juxtaposition with said second transverse flap whensaid display box is in said first position, and said top wall issubstantially perpendicular to said second transverse flap when saiddisplay box is in said second position.

6. A self-erecting display box comprising:

a frontally positioned open frame;

a backdrop including a central section, a pair of side walls hingedlysecured to said section along first and second fold parallel lines, eachof said side walls having a top and bottom portion, and means forsecuring said central section to the rear of said frame; and

biasing means for urging the respective top portions and bottom portionsof said side walls together in direction perpendicular to said first.and second fold lines and from a first position that is substantiallyparallel and adjacent the plane of said central section to a secondposition such that said side walls extend rearwardly at an angle to theplane of said central section and said first and second fold lines arespaced rearwardly of said frame.

the lower portions of said side walls extending below said parallel foldlines and below the lower edge of said frame, said lower portions ofsaid walls including feet upon which the box rests when the same iserected,

said biasing means engaging said side walls at the top and bottomportions thereof whereby bowing of said side walls and feet by saidbiasing means is minimized.

1. A self-erecting display box comprising: a frontally positioned openframe; a backdrop including a central section, a pair of side wallshingedly secured to said section along first and second top-tobottomparallel fold lines; means for hingedly securing said central section tothe rear of said frame; and biasing means for urging at least portionsof said side walls that are parallel to said first and second fold linesfrom first positions that are substantially parallel and adjacent theplane of said central section to second positions such that said sidewalls extend rearwardly at an angle to the plane of said central sectionand said first and second fold lines are spaced rearwardly of saidframe, the lower portions of said side walls extending below saidparallel fold lines and below the lower edge of said frame, said lowerportions of said side walls including feet upon which the box rests whenthe same is erected, said biasing means engaging said side walls atupper and lower segments thereof, the lower segment being above saidfeet whereby bowing of said side walls and feet by said biasing means isminimized.
 2. A display box according to claim 1, wherein said securingmeans includes a bottom wall hingedly secured to said central sectionalong a third fold line and a first transverse flap hingedly secured tosaid bottom wall along a fourth fold line at the rear of said frame andwhich box further includes a top wall hingedly secured to said centralsection along a fifth fold line parallel to said third fold line and asecond transverse flap hingedly secured to said top wall along a sixthfold line and to the rear of said frame.
 3. A display box according toclaim 2 wherein said side walls and panels and said top and bottom wallsextend rearwardly in a converging manner when said display box is in thesecond position.
 4. A display box according to claim 2 wherein said sidewalls and panels extend rearwardly in a converging manner, said top andbottom walls extend horizontally rearwardly when said display box is insaid second position.
 5. A display box according to claim 2 wherein saidtop wall is substantially in juxtaposition with said second transverseflap when said display box is in said first position, and said top wallis substantially perpendicular to said second transverse flap when saiddisplay box is in said second position.
 6. A self-erecting display boxcomprising: a frontally positioned open frame; a backdrop including acentral section, a pair of side walls hingedly secured to said sectionalong first and second fold parallel lines, each of said side wallshaving a top and bottom portion, and means for securing said centralsection to the rear of said frame; and biasing means for urging therespective top portions and bottom portions of said side walls togetherin direction perpendicular to said first and second fold lines and froma first position that is substantially parallel and adjacent the planeof said central section to a second position such that said side wallsextend rearwardly at an angle to the plane of said central section andsaid first and second fold lines are spaced rearwardly of said frame.the lower portions of said side walls extending below said parallel foldlines and below the lower edge of said frame, said lower portions ofsaid walls including feet upon which the box rests when the same iserected, said biasing means engaging said side walls at the top andbottom portions thereof whereby bowing of said side walls and feet bysaid biasing means is minimized.